Before anyone says anything about my amazing graphics here, let me say this is just an image to help me describe what I'm talking about. Initially the idea was to make this a vinyl record, then a whirlpool or a black hole, which may be better ways to do it (especially spiral rather than circle), but right now the idea is Chariot Race a la Ben Hur. No continents or continent bonuses, and the basic game theme is you can only attack counterclockwise by making all territories one way attacks that way. You can attack directly counterclockwise, or counterclockwise and to the side one, but not directly to the side and not backwards, because your chariot is moving too fast to attack directly sideways...I'm not sure how the xml works on one-way borders, but I assume it means you can't fortify backwards either. I think it would be a unique game dynamic, anathema to many CC players but could be pretty exciting with escalating trade-ins...

Naming the territories might be a bit of a challenge (Turn 1, back stretch, turn 2, home stretch, and then mad numbering).

I'm not sure how it would play, sounds very difficult to say the least, but the thought of the escalating cards...verrryyyy intriguing. in fact, it makes me smile. you can only win when your bonuses allow you to go all the way around in one turn. Haha, i'd like to see them play no cards here!

I dislike the idea because it removes an essential element of the game, so it decreases the strategy and at the other hand increases a lot and increase the influence of luck in the game... Got bad rolls, bye!! Its the same for no cards, it removes a fair element, so the strategy is much less interesting. If you dont gain a resource to motivate your moves, why move? Its better sit down and wait... no one want risk and get bad rolls.

Can you guys imagine a game in this map with no cards? Endless and boring, I believe.

In fact, max suggested already a map of Solar system with only one way routes, too... I believe something like that could be, at least, more interesting. The appeal of this race is very low to me... and with the lack of continents... maybe you could add appeal to the idea, because I would never play it as it is now. But I can be wrong, of course. What you guys think about?

Many people know where I stand on 'Hokey Pokey' maps, where everyone moves in the same direction. Why not say instead of everyone moving counterclockwise, but using the example above, have the middle one move clockwise? You could change direction easier then, but doing so might make the whole notion of going in a certain direction for a long time a mute point, which is the base idea for a map. Perhaps if you added you can only change directions in the turning area or some other region, then that would keep the base you wanted, without having the Hokey Pokey rule.

I think the "counterclockwise and to the side one" part of things would be a bit too confusing. Letting folks attack directly to the side wouldn't really break anything, I don't think, and it would be much easier to represent on the board.

I also agree with Andy and Smith about alternating directions. It'd be a little bit weird for the chariot theme, admittedly -- perhaps there's a similar theme it'd make more sense for? (Amusement park ride, maybe?) But it would make the gameplay more interesting, IMO. Plus, having more lanes like Smith said would make it possible to use slightly more interesting names, assuming each lane had an identifier beyond "Lane 1", etc.

The suggestions where there's lanes alternating directions sounds like a good idea to me for a map, like if you did a schematic of the gears of a clock or something, but like Jota's suggestion about side attacks, it wouldn't quite hit the aesthetic of game play that I'm looking for with this one. Probably a common strategy in that would be to never advance, but only attack side to side, and let dogfighters chasing each other around the track tire themselves out and leave tracks of 1-army territories to be picked off to build cards by those only attacking side-to-side. I really want the players to feel some sort of pursuit element, which I think would make the map more exciting even in a turn-based environment. Though I do agree it wouldn't be as easy to represent graphically, I think even the dimmest player would catch on by the first turn.

I'm also not that thrown by the fact that it would be a "hokey-pokey" map, nor by the fact that Andy has unfairly come up with a catchy name to belittle that map style - and I haven't heard his objections to them, or why they would hold in the case of a map where the whole point of the map is that everyone has to move in the same direction. In order to redirect that element of the discussion, I'm going to ask that people use the term "slipstream" instead of "hokey-pokey" because it flips the connotation in my favour.

maybe you could only attack outwards on the curves? you, know like drifting... No continental bonuses, but maybe a bonus if you make it all the way round in one unbroken line?
I like anything different though!
Hmm, so where is that underground map???

Banana Stomper wrote:And i like the one direction only thing, i think it will be a lot of fun to play.

I agree with this. I really dont like the idea too much, but I believe that would be more interesting, and mainly different with one way... Without it... its the same, but without continents, what is bad. But I believe the map option in "create your game" page should warn this map is NOT for no cards games...

I also agree. I wonder if that kind of advice could go in a disclaimer? I think it would be fine for Noobs with itchy attack buttons, but any sort of experienced player will just sit there and accumulate armies with no cards.